UK Soaps - in Order Trivia Quiz

Created by Tony Warren, 'Coronation Street' has appeared regularly on the UK's television screens since December 1960. The setting is a fictional part of Manchester, in north west England, which was given the name of Weatherfield.

The programme remains very popular sixty years on from its inception. When it began, the focus was very much on everyday life, with much of the action taking place in the local public house, The Rovers Return. The pub remains important but storylines are rather more dramatic, with murders, rape and domestic abuse among topics covered.

This soap opera had two runs, the first from 1964 until 1988 with a short-lived revival which lasted only from 2001 to 2003. Set in a motel in the Midlands of England initially, the show was created by Peter Ling and Hazel Adair. The series was low budget and was the subject of much mockery for wobbly sets although the show was popular with viewers.

The main character in the show was Meg Richardson, played by Noele Gordon. When Noele died in 1985 plans were in hand to bring her character back - the show was in decline already and the loss of the star doomed it.

This soap opera began life in 1972 when it was called 'Emmerdale Farm' - the 'Farm' part was dropped in 1989 to coincide with a change of focus to more general themes than the original farming community. The show also moved from a daytime slot to an evening one in 1978.

The show is set in the Yorkshire Dales, near the Pennines, a range of hills. The soap opera focussed on several family groups, many of which are still in the show and represented by descendants of the first members. These include the Sugdens, in the programme from when it started, and the Dingles, who first appeared in 1994. Like many UK soaps, the pub is an important feature and 'Emmerdale' has The Woolpack.

You may not have heard of this show, but in the 2020s it held the record of being the longest running BBC soap opera, having begun airing in 1974. As you have undoubtedly realised, this show is aimed at Welsh audiences and was first shown on BBC Wales before transferring to the dedicated Welsh language channel SC4 in 1982.

Like many soap operas, the pub is the centre of much action and for this series the name is the Deri Arms. The setting is a fictional village called Cwmderi, placed in south west Wales and located between Llanelli and Carmarthen although filming takes place in a custom built set in Cardiff. The name, if you don't speak Welsh, translates as 'People of the Valley'.

This is another regional soap, produced by Scottish television and set in the Highlands of Scotland. The differences from the Welsh soap in the previous question are that dialogue was in English and it was shown across the whole ITV network as a daytime soap. The name comes from the lyrics of the song 'Loch Lomond', although it was abbreviated to 'High Road' in 1994. In the 1990s, the show was dropped from schedules outside Scotland, where the show continued until 2003.

The setting of the show was a fictional village named Glendarroch, located on the banks of Loch Lomond but renamed to Loch Darroch for the programme. Themes included conflict between the (supposedly) wealthy owners of the estate and the villagers who were resistant to any changes. Crofts, the small farms rented by locals were also included. The centre where most of the cast met up was the community shop where much gossip was exchanged.

Channel 4 became the UK's fourth television channel in 1982 with 'Brookside', created by Phil Redmond, broadcast on the channel's opening day. The name referred to a group of new houses set in a cul-de-sac in Liverpool. The channel actually bought thirteen new houses to use as locations and for administrative purposes. The idea was to add more realism to the show.

Beginning with a small cast, with only a couple of the houses being occupied, the show tried to reflect real life and the difficulties of integrating newcomers. As time went on, the storylines became rather wilder, including murder - the body under the patio became a commonly used phrase as a result. As viewing figures declined, the soap was dropped with its final episode being shown in 2003.

It feels as if it's always been around, but 'EastEnders' appeared relatively late on the scene, with the first episode being broadcast only in 1985. Set in a borough called Walford, which doesn't exist in London although there are several places of that name in the UK, it set its sights on the poorer areas of England's capital. It is shown on the BBC's main channel as was created to be a competitor to 'Coronation Street'.

The show's first episode began rather as it meant to continue, with the murder of a local resident being discovered by several of the characters who would become well known to the public, even those who didn't actually watch it. There have been other murders since, with infidelity, arson and gangsters among the storylines covered. There is, of course, a pub, where characters blurt out secrets and their private business in front of everyone. This one is called the Queen Victoria, although usually just referred to as the Queen Vic.

Tony Holland, who also created 'EastEnders', was behind this soap which seemed to have everything going for it. Set in Spain, but featuring mainly British and other European expats, the show lasted only one year, from July 1992 until July 1993.

The show was pushed into the schedules earlier than expected, many of the cast had little experience and the initial storyline was considered outlandish and rather sordid. ITV also decided to show an hour long episode of 'Coronation Street' on its launch night. Although some of the original problems were resolved, 'Eldorado' never really took off and is the shortest lived soap included in the quiz.

This soap opera was created by Phil Redmond, who also brought us 'Brookside', and was aimed at the young adult audience originally. The show began on Channel 4 in 1995 in an early evening slot, also being shown on E4 from 2005 before episodes were switched to YouTube and Channel 4's streaming service in 2023.

The series is set in Chester, with the original opening sequence showing the famous clock in the main shopping street, but is actually filmed in Liverpool. The name of Hollyoaks refers to a fictional area of Chester. Storylines were aimed at teens and young adults and dealt with themes that could be of relevance to them.

This daytime soap opera was broadcast in half-hour episodes in the early afternoon on BBC1. The first episode was shown in March 2000 with the final one broadcast in November 2024 after the BBC decided the costs of producing the show were too high.

As the name tells you, 'Doctors' was based in the medical world but with the focus on general practitioners. The action mainly took place in two surgeries, one in the fictional town of Letherbridge, located in the West Midlands, and the other on the campus of a university, enabling the show to cover issues relevant to younger people. Storylines covered the personal lives of the characters and tackled topical issues, including Covid.

The cancellation was heavily criticised and it is possible that the show could be resurrected at some point.